‘Why isn’t stuff like this more known? Why don’t you tell the stories to others?’ Aimee asked.
‘We have. This was all common knowledge years ago, but people forget. No one is interested. All they have to do is come and ask.’
Matt sat there bewildered. They had merely met with two Kaumatua and already they had been told of white people living amongst them before Cook. How many others must there be? What would possess a country to not speak with their natives and find out their version of events? It beggared belief.
‘So this happened out on the peninsula?’ Matt asked. ‘You mean the Otago Peninsula then?’
‘Not many others out here,’ Andrew said, laughing. ‘I reckon if you go out there and ask around, you’ll find out even more. We’re from a little further south of here. It wasn’t our people’s story.’
‘We’ll do just that,’ Aimee said. ‘Tomorrow.’
Matt and Aimee said their thanks and goodbyes to the friendly Maori pair. He wondered if they were married, or just good friends from the same place. It didn’t matter. They were obviously as close as family. He was struck by the affection that he had witnessed and by how friendly the Maori were. He hadn’t known what to expect. His constant incidences with Hemi had put him on guard. But now he knew, despite a minority of bad examples, there was a fantastic group of people in New Zealand that he would love to have the chance to learn more about. Maybe tomorrow would bring him that opportunity.
Hemi had observed the meeting between Matt, Aimee and the Maori couple from the mezzanine floor of the atrium. This time, he had gone unnoticed. Or so he thought. The problem with the whole GPS scenario was not losing his prey, but being unaware of their plans. When he saw the Maori couple that met with Matt and Aimee, he had to ask a student if she knew who they were. Thankfully he had spotted a Maori girl at a table upstairs and she immediately recognised them as Kaumatua from her tribe. Hemi had too much respect for his elders to get in the way of a meeting like that. He wanted to lay low and let things take their course. Hopefully Matt and Aimee could learn something valuable to their research here today. Thank God Warren Rennie wasn’t about to witness this. Speaking of which, it was time to touch base with Warren again. He had managed not to contact him since Nelson so Hemi knew that Warren would probably be pissed. Hemi still wanted to suck Warren into a trap by getting him mad, but likewise he hoped that nothing would get in Matt and Aimee’s way of successfully completing their research. He had to play his cards carefully. Watching Matt and Aimee leave the building, he took his mobile from his pocket and selected Warren from his contacts list.
‘Hemi!’ The phone was answered by an angry and blunt voice. ‘Decided to get back in touch, did ya? I wondered how long it would take you.’
‘Yeah, sorry. I’ve been rather busy.’
‘Not half as busy as I have son. Doing all your work for you. Where are you? What’s happening?’
‘I’m at the University of Otago. Observing Dr. Cameron.’
‘What’s he doing in Dunedin? Did he go to Moeraki? What about the Banks Peninsula? Waihopai?’
‘He went to Moeraki and Waihopai,’ Hemi said.
‘Uhuh, and now he’s in Dunedin, eh? And what’s he doing there?’
‘I’m not sure exactly.’ Hemi lied. He didn’t like the sound of Warren’s voice. He was mocking him. Hemi wasn’t mocked.
‘He wouldn’t be chasing up his father’s theories would he?’
‘I don’t know, maybe, maybe not. He could be looking for more Celtic stuff. Big Scottish community you know.’
‘Then why was he having morning-tea with two Maori elders?’
Shit. Hemi spun around and scanned the lobby. Warren had to be here, or had been here. He couldn’t possibly know that Matt had been with the Kaumatua, could he?
‘Why so quiet, Hemi?’
‘Where are you?’
‘That’s not important boy. You haven’t been taking care of your part of the bargain so I’ve come to sort it out for you. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Where, when?’ Hemi asked, continuing his room-scan but still coming up empty.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll find you.’
The line went dead.
Hemi slipped the phone back in his pocket and lifted himself off the chair. As he walked out of the building, trying to look as relaxed as possible, he stole glances in every which direction that he could. Warren was here. Somewhere. Either that or he had someone else in his employ. That was a possibility Hemi didn’t want to have to consider. But he knew he had to now.
CHAPTER 41
Wednesday, November 17, 1526
Our fears were unfounded. The local natives have proven to be friendly and welcoming, although wary at first. It would seem they have never seen a ship like ours. Their canoes are much smaller and certainly wouldn’t be suitable for crossing an ocean. The colour of our skin is also of much amusement to them. The native men have strong looking bodies wrapped in a very dark brown skin. They have black hair, often a black beard, white teeth, and a few have markings upon their faces. The older men appear to have more markings. Most of the men have none at all. The women mostly appear to wear their hair long, though a few of the older woman have it cut short.
The natives go about in an array of clothing or with none at all. The clothing they do wear is often basic, made out of a broad leafed grass that we have seen much of. They all wear pieces of shell or stone hanging from the ears and in chains around their necks. Some of the men wear two or three long white feathers in their hair when they are clothed. The women often wear a comb in their hair. The combs are made from bone or wood. There seems to be much respect for the older men from the younger.
We are struggling with finding a common language for communication. I tried Spanish, a few words of French, some English too. But the natives don’t appear to have had any contact with Europeans before, as I expected. We have, therefore, fallen back on signals. A lot of pointing and the slow pronunciation of words, that we might come to understand each other.
We have given them some of the sweet potato plants that we brought with us and these have been quickly planted, along with a few other specimens we had on board. The women were delighted with this gift. In return, we were rewarded with some very good fish and we have been shown where we can take water from the stream.
I think we will be able to get the ship onto the beach here and make repairs in a safe haven. At least for now, we have a good neighbourly relationship with the land’s people. I hope to be able to observe them more and to learn more about their ways.
Thursday, December 2, 1526
Communication with the natives is getting much stronger. The people call themselves Waitaha. Their leader, a stout man who has spent much time with me, patiently showing me around his small valley and beach, goes by the name ‘Tane.’ It has been made clear by his actions that we are welcome here. Not only have they invited us to eat with them by the fire, but Tane also had his strongest men help us to bring the ship up onto the beach. This was achieved through the cutting of some round logs and using some ropes and levers accompanied by the brute force of a huge group of men to move the ship on the highest tide.
We are now in a position to properly set to repairs. The carpenters and shipwrights have assembled a team of ready and able men for this job. The other men and I will go about exploring the surrounding forests and beaches with our new friends. We will go hunting and fishing and build up a good stock for our onward journey. Some of the men have agreed to bring the natives to our Christian faith. The people will be better and happier with our God than without him. I have been told to expect to be here for two months.
